Voices
Let’s balance criticism of the Beth Din with appreciation
It is fashionable today to be cynical, especially towards people who hold positions of authority. Just as high-definition TV has forced celebrities to be even more careful with their make-up, so too is every blemish of those in power brutally exposed by social media and the internet – without reservation or restraint.
Dean Lutrin, Johannesburg
Our Beth Din dropped the ball with the recent kashrut scandal, and the resultant fallout has, arguably, been managed poorly.
I, like many of your readers, know many of the lay and professional leaders of the Beth Din and regard them as friends and teachers.
I believe that we, as a community, need to express our gratitude to those who look after the spiritual welfare of our community, be it for a salary or voluntarily. That is not to say that we don’t have the right or responsibility to criticise, but a happy relationship demands that words of affection far outweigh the harsh words.
If our children don’t hear dinner table conversation about how we cherish our communal organisations, they will stop believing in them.
We as a community are judgmental towards Jews who publicly attack the State of Israel because we don’t feel their attitude stems from a place of love. Similarly, we cannot allow for a cynical and critical attitude to be the dominant motif of our relationship with our Beth Din. We have the power to destroy it – and then what?
Martin Z
May 13, 2018 at 3:48 pm
‘Well said’